Milking mechanism.



' nism for automatically cutting o 'rnirr FFICE? DAVID '.rowlvsnnn sHARPLEsoF WEST cHEsrrEaPENNsYLvnNIA.

specification' lf-.Letters Patent. Patented N 011.22, 1910.

Application filed February 5,' 1910. v Serial No. 542,167.

To all wh'om may com'zerrt:

Be it known that I, DAVE) T. SHARPLES, a

.-citi'z'en of thel United States, residing at Test Chester, in the county of. Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented .cer-

tain Improvements in Milking Mechanism, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to milkin mecha suction through the milk 'tube and sealing .the pail when the teat cup is separated from the teat and when the pail is full, the pail being automatically sealed when the interior of the tube is opened to latmospheric pressure or Whenlthe pressure therein rises above the normal milki g pressure. A desidera um attained by my improved mechanism is the protection of the milk from contamination by the exclusion of' foreign matters, Which 'are commonly drawn into and through the milk tube by suction continued therein after the cup has dropped from the teat .orwhile itis being carelessly handled.

A further desideratum .eected is the preservation in the system of the vacuum necessary to continue the milking operations through other teat cups by .preventing `the admission of air to the system upon the disengagement ofone'or more of the cups or the admission'of air to their milk tubes. A further desideratum attained is the au= tomatic checking ofthe milking operation and the signaling of the operative when the pail is full. i A further desideratum resulting from the operation is the automatic maintenance of a partial vacuum within thepail, 'byv means of which the cover is maintained'in sealed relation to the body of the pail.

The features characteristic of the im-V rovements are more fully disclosed inthe ollowingdescription and the accompanying drawings in illustrationy thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the top of a milk-pail having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 21s a top plan View of a section of the pail; Fig. 3 1s an'enlarged sectional view on the line 3-.3 of Fig. 2 representing.characteristic details of the invention; Fig. 4 is a Yplan view ofa form of springused in .the

construction; Fig. 5 `is a cross section of the same, and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation representing a form of valve' which may be. substituted for that shown in Fig. 3.

The pail 1, having the rim l, is providedl with the cover 2 having the depending annular flanges2n and 2b forming the channel 2 which engages the rim..

The cover has engaged thereon, between the bearing 2d and the valve box 2e formed therewith, the pulsator 3 which is connected by the vacuum nipple 4 with the box 2e and by the pressure and vacuum pipe 5 with the inclosed compartment 6a of the teat cup 6.

A'screw cap 7 for 'closing the top of the box'2e, 1s provided with a barrel 't'a forming a vertical way for guiding a puppet valve 7",

A tube 10 extends through the tube 9, in

which it has free play and with which it is connected by a flexible rubber diaphragm, the latter comprising a disk like body 11 having thereon a cylindrical flange 11a tightly engaged ontthe flange 9b and an oppositely extending cylindrical flange l1"V tightly engaged on the part of the tube 10 exterior to the tube. 9.

The body 11 has embedded therein or iixed thereto. a dished spring com- I prising the body 12 concentric with the fiange 11b and the resilient fingers l2a which project therefrom,vf the spring acting to Withdraw the part l1 to its dotted position.' v.

A flexible suction tube 13 connects the end of the reciprocating tube 10, which extends beyond the partvll", With the inner compartment 6b of the teat cup.

A spring 14 is coiled on the top of the valve 8 and has one end fixed thereto While the other end is fixed to the anchorage 21'.

The function of the spring 14 is to turn the valve 8 and cut off the communication ofthe port 8a with the tubes 9 and 10; a

- of the spring 12 is to Withdraw the tube 10 from engagement with the port- Saand permitl the spring 14 to turn the valve 8, thereby cutting off suction throughthetube 13 and exhaustion ,of air through the port 2i fromA sealing the pails passage by way of this valve.

In operation, suction through the nipple t eects the rise otthe automatically closedvalve 7b (loosel fittedin the way 7a) and the .interior of the pail 1.` The cup 6 being A. applied tothe teat and the valve 8 manually shown in Fig. 3, the tube 10 being moved thereby into the port 8a and holding the valve open. IVhen'thecup 6 drops or is otherwise withdrawn from the teat and air is admitted through the tubes 13 and 10 to the'space between the tubes 9 and 10, the spring 12 moves the part 11 to the dotted line position and withdraws the tube 10 from the port 8a', whereupon the spring 14 closes the valve 8.

When the milk, exhausted from the teat through the tubel 13 to the pail, rises in the latter so that the port 8a is sealed thereby, and suction through this tube is cut ofi', the pressure in the tube rises and the closure of the valve'8 is effected.-

As the valve 7b automatically closes the port 2fbwhen the valve 8 is closed a vacuum is maintained within the pail.

As illustrated in' Fig.' 6, the cover 2 is provided with the port 2k and the valve box having thereon the cap 2n. The tube.9 is set in this box and the tube 10, connected with the tube 9 as shown in Fig. 3, is adapt ed to project into 'the' box. having the body 15a which ts the box and vthe conical point 15b which is adapted :tor

closing the port 2k, is provided with the v stem 15G movable through the cap 2.

iange 21 on the cap engages the packing 15d of the valve to prevent the admission of air through/the cap.

Upon ltting the valve 15 and exhausting air through the port 2k, from within the tubes 9, 10 and 13, the diaphragm 11 collapses and the tube 10 is projected into the casing to engage thebody of the .valve 15, whereby the latter is held elevated. When the pressure in the tubes rises ,above normal milking pressure, the diaphragm springs out to its normal position, the tube 10 is withdrawn and the valve 15 drops, closing the port 2k.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l1. In amilking mechanism, a receptacle, a suction tube connected therewith, means for exhausting air from said. receptacle, and means automatically operating to cut oli the A valve 15,'-

communication vfrom said tube to said receptacle uponl the admission to said tube of pressure above normal milking pressure.

said receptacle, alvalve mechanism controlling communication between said tube. and receptacle, the communication between said tube and receptacle through said valve mechanism being sealed by the ri'se of liquid in said receptacle and automatic means actuated to hold said valve open by the reduc tion of the pressure within said -tube and to permit-said valve mechanism to close uponv the rise of pressure in said tube. A,

3. In a milking mechanism, a pail, a pail cover having a port therein,'means for exhausting air from said pail through said port, a valve opened by suction and automatically closing said port, a suction tube connected with r said cover, an automatically closing valve. adapted Jfor controlling communication vbetween the interior of said pail and said tube, means for4 holding said valve open, and automatic pressure mechanism whereby said valve is released.

4. In-a milking mechanism, a pail, a suc tion tube communicating with saidrpail, an

automatically closing valve for controlling communication between said pail and tube, and means actuated by unbalanced atmospheric pressure resulting from the exhaustion of air from said tube for holding said valve inthe open position.

5. In a milking mechanism, a pail-,a suction tube, a teat cup Connected therewith, an automatically closing valve for .controlling communication between said tube and pail, areciprocating device adapted for holding said valve in the open position, and `automatically operating means for eiiecting the release of said valve. l

6. In a milking mechanism, a pail, a valve, means for exhausting air from said pail, a reciprocating conduit communicating lwith said pail under control of said valve, a

stationary conduit exterior to said reciprocating conduit and communicating with said pail under control oi said valve, and a ilexible diaphragm connecting said ,conduits and adapted to be operated by atmospheric pressure to cause said first conduitto engage When a partial vacuum is created in said conduit, and means operated by said diaphragm for holding and releasing said means reciprocated by said diaphragm foi" engaging and disengaging said valve, said last' named means being adapted for holding said Valve in one position, and means for throwing said Valve to a second position.

9. In a milking mechanism, a receptacle,

means for \eXhausting air therefrom, a suction tube exhausted by said means through said receptacle, a teat cup connected with said tube, a valve mechanism for controlling communication between said receptacle and tube, and means operated by suction for holding said valve mechanism in the open position, said means being adapted for auto- .matically releasing4 said valve mechanism upon the rise in said tube of pressure above that adapted for milking. y

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my name this 3rd day of February, 1910, in the 30 presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

' 'DAVID TOIVNSEND SHARPLES.

A W'itnesses:

A. C. MACARTNEY, H. B. CARLISLE. 

